Rasam

When you are down with a particularly bad bout of cold or fever, you tongue feels like rubber and you can taste absolutely nothing. At times like these, you wouldn’t want to eat as you would find everything bland. Try this simple recipe for “rasam” to make your taste buds happy.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes (ripe) – 2

• Lime – 1

• Rasam powder – 1 tsp

• Red chilly – 1 (optional)

• Mustard seeds and black gram (white and split) – ½ tsp

• Curry leaves

• Water – 3 cups

• Coriander leaves – for garnishing

• Salt – according to taste

Preparation

1. Cut the tomatoes into half. In a deep frying pan, pour a cup of water and boil the tomatoes. Cover the pan with a lid and your tomatoes should be done in 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Transfer the tomatoes to another vessel. If there is any water remaining in the pan, pour it along with the tomatoes. Rinse the pan and keep it aside.

3. Add two more cups of water to the tomatoes. Wait till the tomatoes cool down. Cut the lime into half, and add its juice to the tomatoes. Mash the tomatoes with your hand (careful, it might still be hot!)

4. Pour oil in the pan and add mustard seeds and black gram. When the mustard seeds stop bursting, add curry leaves and the red chilly (broken into half). Pour the mixture of tomatoes, lime juice, water, and rasam powder into the pan.

5. Add salt and stir well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Turn off the gas when the rasam comes to a boil. Serve hot or cold, either way, it’s delicious!

Tastes best with rice, but no one is stopping you from drinking rasam from a glass!